Arrive gently now,
As we melt into the deep restorative embrace of sleep,
This sacred time of deep rest.
Allow yourself to settle into your sanctuary,
Finding that sweet place where your body can truly arrive,
Where every part of you is held and supported.
There's nothing for you to do here,
Nowhere you need to be,
No effort required.
These next hours,
They belong entirely to rest,
They are yours,
A gift you give yourself,
This time to simply be,
To soften,
To return home to the quiet spaciousness of sleep.
Take a long deep breath,
As you gently stretch from the tips of the toes to the crown,
Perhaps also with a long slow yawn,
And perhaps add a gentle smile.
Now rest your arms softly by your sides,
Palms open,
Facing upward,
Surrendering.
Close your eyes gently,
Softly,
As though drawing a veil across the outer world.
Allow your body to be held,
Completely held,
By the earth beneath you.
There's nothing you need to do,
Nowhere you need to go,
Nobody you need to be.
Just arrive here,
Just as you are.
Let yourself sink a little deeper now,
Trusting that you are safe,
That you are held,
That all is well.
Feel the weight of your eyelids as they soften,
And take another slow deep breath in,
And let it all go with a long releasing sigh,
Just letting everything fall away.
Allow yourself to drift,
Float,
Let go.
Let your breath find its own natural rhythm,
And out,
Like the gentle rise and fall of the ocean.
The eternal rhythm of the tides flowing in,
Receding out.
With each inhale,
Receive,
Allow,
Open.
With each exhale,
Soften,
Release,
Feel what is beneath you again,
That has held all beings,
Holding you now,
Carrying you completely,
Supporting every cell in your body,
Every part of you.
You are safe here,
You are home.
Notice the breath again,
Rising,
Rising and falling,
Without effort,
Without strain.
Allow any tension to begin melting away,
From the face,
Softening around the eyes,
The jaw releasing,
Drop the jaw,
Again,
And again,
And again.
The forehead smooth and calm,
The shoulders dropping away from the ears,
Heavy and soft,
Belly rising and falling,
No holding,
Just breathing,
The legs resting,
Heavy,
At peace.
Your whole body surrendering now,
Surrendering into rest,
Into this embrace of stillness.
There is nothing to resolve,
Nothing to change,
Nothing to improve,
Nowhere to travel to,
Just as you are,
In this moment,
Perfect.
Let yourself sink a little deeper,
Trusting this process,
Trusting yourself to let go.
Now,
In this quiet space,
Invite a heartfelt intention,
What is known as a sankalpa.
This is a seed of truth,
Planted in the fertile soil of your deepest being.
Perhaps it's a word,
Or a phrase,
A quality you long to cultivate,
To remember,
To embody.
Kindness,
Or love,
Listen,
Let it come to you,
When it arrives,
Hold it gently,
Like a precious gift,
Like something sacred.
Repeat it silently now,
Three times,
With sincerity,
With tenderness,
With love.
For example,
I am calm,
I am peace,
Whatever word or words have come to you now,
Feel these words,
Not just as thoughts,
But as truth,
As vibration,
As light.
Let these words ripple through your being,
Like a gentle ray of light,
Touching every cell,
Every breath,
Every corner of your heart.
Know that this seed is planted now,
In the rich darkness of your unconscious mind,
Where it will grow and flower in its own perfect time.
Move awareness through the body now,
Like a gentle stream of light,
Illuminating,
Bringing softness to each part.
Awareness and curious,
Bring your sleepy focus to the right side of the body.
Sense your right thumb,
Becoming aware of your right thumb.
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Feeling the palm,
The center of your hand,
Back of the hand,
The wrist,
The forearm,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
The top of the shoulder,
The front of the shoulder,
The side of the shoulder,
The armpit,
The right side of the waist,
The whole length of the right thigh,
Sole of the right foot,
All five toes of the right foot.
Become aware now of the left side.
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
The left shoulder,
The top of the shoulder,
The front of the shoulder,
The side of the shoulder,
The left side of the waist,
The whole length of the left thigh,
Sole of the left foot,
All five toes of the left foot.
Just observe.
Can you envisage the back now of your body,
The tailbone,
The base of the spine,
The sitting bones,
Shoulder blades,
The front of the body now,
The abdomen,
Awareness flows now to the neck,
The jaw completely relaxed,
Teeth slightly parted,
Cheeks soft,
Lips gently closed or slightly parted,
The tip of the nose,
The bridge of the nose,
Between the eyebrows,
Resting softly,
Smooth and wide,
The crown of the head.
Now sense your whole body at once as one,
This body that carries you through life,
Resting now,
Restored from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes,
Every cell bathed in awareness,
In peace,
In light,
Supported and once again bring your awareness,
Notice how it comes and how it goes,
Air as it enters,
As it leaves,
No need to change it,
No need to control it,
Just witnessing,
Just being with this ancient rhythm,
This sacred exchange,
Notice the belly rising with the inhale,
Falling with the exhale,
The ribs expanding,
The chest gently moving,
In harmony with all of life,
With each exhale,
Let go,
Let go of the tension,
Worry,
Striving,
With each inhale receive,
Allow yourself to be filled,
Peace,
With light,
Imagine the breath now as a wave,
A wave of golden light,
Flowing through every cell,
Every tissue,
Every space within you,
Restoring,
Soothing,
Balancing,
Returning you to your natural state of wholeness,
And if the mind wanders and it will,
Simply notice and return gently to the rhythm of breathing,
Coming home again and again,
To this moment,
To this breath,
To yourself,
Where you feel deeply safe and at peace,
It may be a memory,
Place you've been,
Or it may arise from your imagination,
A place of the heart,
See it now in your mind's eye,
Notice the colors,
The quality of light,
Is it a dawn or is it a dusk,
What do you see around you,
Trees,
Water,
Perhaps birdsong,
Or the sound of the ocean playing,
A wind through leaves,
Or the most perfect silence,
What sounds live in this place of peace,
Feel the air around you,
Is it warm,
Is there a breeze,
Feel yourself here,
Fully here,
In a sanctuary,
Rest here now,
Bathed in love,
Completely safe,
Completely free,
Your heart begins to expand,
Like a flower turning toward the sun,
Feel gratitude rising for this moment,
For this breath,
All that is sane and unsane,
For all those blessings,
For this life,
And know this,
Know this deeply,
This sanctuary is not outside of you,
It is within you always,
You carry this peace,
This light,
This love,
Wherever you go,
It is your true nature,
Your home,
What were the words you used long ago,
Your sankalpa,
Those seeds you have planted all along,
Whatever words you gifted yourself,
Whisper them,
Silently,
With love,
Let them settle deeply into the soil of your being,
Roots growing down,
Deep,
Deep down into the earth of your soul,
And once again bring awareness to your body,
This time feel its heaviness,
Feeling your body heavy,
Sinking into the earth,
Weighted,
Grounded,
Into now lightness,
Feeling your body light,
So light,
Floating,
Weightless,
As though you could drift up like a feather,
Heaviness and lightness,
Both present,
Warmth,
Feeling warmth spreading through your body,
Radiant heat,
Like resting in sunshine,
Beside a fire,
So warm,
Into now coolness,
A pleasant coolness,
Refreshing,
Like a gentle breeze,
Or shade on a hot day,
Soothing,
And coolness,
Dancing together,
Balancing,
Simply rest now in this dance of sensations,
This play of opposites,
Knowing you contain all of it,
The fullness of experience,
The richness of being human,
Floating in the vast ocean of being,
Nowhere to go,
Just now,
Let the guardian of sacred stillness carry you in its embrace,
Let each breath smooth away the edges of your days,
Let my voice be the guide into the sanctuary of silence,
The soft winged presence of peace,
Peaceful space of night,
Let your mind dim like evening light,
Fading into dusk,
Let a tender hush settle,
Let your thoughts loosen,
Like leaves drifting on still water,
As you float on the waves of breath,
You are a soul attuned to the space between sounds,
You are a living breath of the great quiet,
The gentle presence woven from silence,
